The BurmaNet News: December 3, 1997

------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: December 3, 1997
Issue #883
HEADLINES:
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THE NATION: RANGOON TO COMMUTE SENTENCES FOR CIVILIANS
THE NATION: THAI-BURMA TALKS SEEK TO PROMOTE FRIENDSHIP
BKK POST: NLD DETAINEES DENIED DEFENCE
BKK POST: FOES TO LIE DOWN IN PATH OF BULLDOZERS
SCMP: MIDIFIED RAPTURE AT PRISON TERMS CUTS
THE STRAITS TIMES: THAI BUILDER OF PIPELINE DENIES FORESTS BEING
FELLED ILLEGALLY
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THE NATION: RANGOON TO COMMUTE SENTENCES FOR CIVILIANS
December 3, 1997
Reuters
RANGOON - Burma's new military government has announced it will commute
sentences for civilian prisoners serving terms of 10 years or more, official
media reported yesterday.
The ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) issued an order to
reduce the terms of prisoners convicted before Nov 15 this year by civil and
military courts as well as military tribunals.
Order 1/97, signed by SPDC chairman Senior Gen Than Shwe, said that
prisoners sentenced to death would have their sentences commuted to life or
20 years in prison.
Prisoners sentenced for life will have their terms reduced to 10 years in
prison under the order.
It also reduces the term of those serving 20 years or more to 15 years,
while those serving between 10 years and 20 years will be imprisoned for
only 10 years.
The SPDC was created on Nov 15 to replace the former ruling body, the State
Law and Order Restoration Council.
Local analysts said many members of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's
National League for Democracy_including several of her close aides_will
probably benefit from the order.
Government officials were unavailable for comment and it was not immediately
clear if any prisoners will be released soon because of the commutation of
sentences.
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THE NATION: THAI-BURMA TALKS SEEK TO PROMOTE FRIENDSHIP
December 3, 1997
The Nation
WHEN Thailand and Burma meet for their fourth joint commission session in
Bangkok this weekend, representatives will discuss ways to promote the
Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge in Tak province, a government source said
yesterday.
The source said those attending the meeting, which will be chaired by
Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan and his Burmese counterpart U Ohn Gyaw, will
also discuss strengthening bilateral trade and other cooperation.
Senior officials will meet on Sunday to prepare topics for Monday's
ministerial-level session.
The bridge is in operation and linked to a permanent checkpoint. Thais are
currently allowed to drive across the Moei River and enter Burma's Mywaddy
Town. Burmese people can drive into Tak province.
"During the meeting, both sides will discuss whether to extend the distance
the people and vehicles can go on both sides. There are some details that
both countries have to discuss and settle about the vehicles," the source said.
Vehicles entering Thailand are required to be insured, the source said, but
most Burmese cars are not insured so "the Thai side will ask Burma to
consider such a requirement".
Other topics of discussion will include the progress of cooperation projects
such as the training of Burmese officials in such fields as human resource
development, the source said.
The source denied that both sides would discuss postponing the
Asean-European Union meeting over the criticism Asean has received from the
EU over the grouping's acceptance of Burma earlier this year.
The source said the issue was not bilateral in nature.
The Foreign Ministry has said that people-to-people contact would be
featured prominently in bilateral relations with Burma.
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BKK POST: NLD DETAINEES DENIED DEFENCE
December 3, 1997
Reuters
Rangoon - Eight jailed members of Burma's leading opposition party have been
denied the right to hire lawyers for their defence, the National League for
Democracy (NLD) said yesterday.
The party members, arrested last month in connection with NLD leader Aung
San Suu Kyi's organisational trips outside Rangoon, were not allowed to
defend themselves in hearings yesterday.
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BKK POST: FOES TO LIE DOWN IN PATH OF BULLDOZERS
December 3, 1997
Protesters demand rerouting in 5 days
Cbakrit Ridmontri
Conservation groups yesterday declared they and residents along the
Thai-Burmese gas pipeline route would lay down their bodies across the route
through the fertile forest to prevent bulldozers from destroying the ecology
and wildlife habitat.
More than one hundred villagers from Kanchanaburi and leaders of
conservation groups marched to the Government House to demand Prime Minister
Chuan Leekpai reroute the gas pipeline.
They said they could not stand watching the Petroleum Authority of Thailand
(PTT) hack down trees in the lush forests which are habitats for many rare
species. Once destroyed, the forests wouldn't be able to recover.
"We want an answer from the government within five days. Otherwise we will
lay our bodies across the pipeline route and close off the forests until the
project is suspended," said Phibhop Dhongchai, secretary-general of Campaign
for Popular Democracy and a leader of the groups.
Mr Phibhop asked PM's Office Minister Supatra Masdit, who received the
groups' petition on behalf of Mr Chuan, to talk with the group's
representatives. He said the groups have tried in vain since last year to
convince the PTT to reroute the pipeline from the forests and re-study the
project's impacts on communities and the environment.
The PTT has speeded up the construction despite a strong opposition,
regarding its opponents as those obstructing national development, he
said.
Forests conservation is another way of development, which is more
sustainable, he explained.
"For the sake of national development we are ready to leave our homes to
prevent the forests from being destroyed by the gas pipeline project. Please
keep the forests for the wildlife. They can't be here to protest with us,"
said Duangchai Navakulpichet, a villager from Kanchanaburi's Dan Makham Tia
district.
She said she was concerned about the fate of wild animals because she could
not see how the PTT could minimise the adverse impact on the environment.
The PTT, she added, had never kept any promise made.
Khunying Supatra told the groups that with the cabinet busy tackling the
pressing economic problems the government could not possibly address the gas
pipeline issue in five days.
The groups yesterday also met with Gen Charn Boonprasert, army chief of
staff, to reiterate their commitment to stage a peaceful protest in the
forests under the jurisdiction of the First Army's 9th Division.
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SCMP: MIDIFIED RAPTURE AT PRISON TERMS CUTS
December 3 1997
BURMA by William Barnes in Bangkok
The slashing of jail sentences of civilian prisoners by the remodelled
military regime could benefit hundreds of political detainees.
Junta chairman General Than Shwe said yesterday those serving 10 to 20 years
would be kept in for 10 years. Death sentences would be commuted to a prison
term and 20-year terms cut to 15.
Most of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's top advisers and senior party
members are in Rangoon's notorious Insein jail.
Her National League for Democracy (NLD) welcomed the reductions but urged
the regime to release party members from jail.
Party vice-chairman Tin Oo hoped the regime would grant a general amnesty
next month on the 50th anniversary of Burma's independence from Britain.
"It is most welcome that people will be released, but I hope the Government
will be more generous on the anniversary," he said.
Burma is thought to have about 2,000 political prisoners.
Observers were cautious about seeing any softening in the move. The regime
has, in the past, simply topped up prison sentences, by discovering new
crimes, when it wants to keep opponents locked up. The junta's core leaders
threw out their most corrupt colleagues and renamed themselves the State
Peace and Development Council last month in an effort to improve their image
and efficiency.
One diplomat in Rangoon said: "We should welcome this, but since the
political prisoners shouldn't be there at all our joy is limited."
Burma watchers have also seen more than 80 prisoners moved out of Insein in
recent weeks, which may send a more ominous signal.
Faith Docherty, of the Southeast Asian Information Network, said: "Based on
past behaviour, when they start clearing prisons it is because they expect
more arrivals. This happened in 1988, a year of sharply repressed
demonstrations."
The NLD's senior trio, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, Mr Tin Oo and Kyi Maung, have
remained free, if often harassed and isolated, but nearly all its other
important personalities - including elder statesman Win Tin - have been jailed.
The diplomat said: "There is no sign the regime has any intention of letting
these rejoin Aung San Suu Kyi. That would be real progress."
Eight jailed NLD members have been denied the right to hire lawyers, the
party said yesterday
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THE STRAITS TIMES: THAI BUILDER OF PIPELINE DENIES FORESTS BEING FELLED
ILLEGALLY
December 3, 1997
AFP
BANGKOK - The Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) yesterday defended its
construction of a gas pipeline to Myanmar, accusing critics of spreading
misinformation about the amount of virgin forest to be cleared. The state
enterprise denied that it was felling more trees than necessary for the
pipeline, which will run through one of Thailand's few remaining areas of
pristine forest.
The pipeline ends in the Yadana natural gas field in Myanmar's Andaman Sea.
PTT said in a statement that opponents of the pipeline had spread untruths
to the Thai media that it had cut a new road through the forest and was
chopping down more trees than it was permitted to.
"The PTT asks for fairness from conservation groups and media in
investigating the construction," the statement said.
"PTT will adhere strictly to the construction plan and will only build in
areas where it has permission to."
About 100 opponents of the pipeline rallied outside Government House yesterday.
Protesters, including Bangkok students and local people affected by the
pipeline construction, submitted a letter to Thai Premier Chuan Leekpai.
The country had sufficient supplies from its own offshore fields in the Gulf
of Thailand, a statement issued by the demonstrators said.
Activists are calling for a suspension to the building of the 260 km of
pipeline and want the route changed to skirt around 6 km of virgin forest,
home to several endangered species.
They have threatened to close off an area of the forest in Thailand's
western province of Kanchanaburi if the government did not respond to their
demands.
They had planned to present their demands to the Prime Minister yesterday.
PTT said that it would reduce the width of the corridor to be hacked through
the jungle from 20 m to 14 m to minimise the impact on the environment. It
also promised to reforest the area when the pipeline was completed.
On Sunday, the 410-km Myanmar portion of the pipeline was completed, with
top generals from the ruling junta witnessing the welding of the final
sections offshore in the Andaman Sea.
The pipeline in Myanmar has sparked controversy because of allegations from
human-rights organisations that forced labour had been used to build roads
and a railway line. The Myanmar and Thai sections are to be joined at the
border of the two countries, near the preserved forest on the Thai side.
PTT has said that construction of the Thai section cannot be delayed because
Thailand will face a daily penalty of 40 million baht (S$384,000) if the
pipeline, being developed by Total of France and Unocal of the United
States, is not ready by July 1998.
In October, the Thai government of former Premier Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
approved the revocation of a national park designation for a section of
forest, to smooth the way for the pipeline construction.
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